Long Hot Summer
by rachel-hudson
Summary: AU. Finn, working at a lake resort tending to tourists every wish. Rachel a Broadway starlet, going on vacation to escape New York. They meet and at first they don't bond but the relationship grows stronger. What will happen when she has to return to NYC?


**A/N: Hey guys! So this is my first attempt at a fic. It's AU and the prompt was given to me from my girl Kerrigan (f-hudsons). Hope you like it! This first chapter is kind of like a prologue, just to introduce the characters.**

It's Labor Day Weekend in Northern Michigan. Finn Hudson is working at the Homestead Resort on the beautiful Lake Michigan. It's the busiest weekend of the summer for sure, he's never seen more people on the beach at the pool. All of the canoes are rented and every single motorboat is on the lake.

_At least it will be quiet after Monday,_ he thinks to himself.

He hated his job. Though it was only his summer job, during the fall he taught at the local high school, he couldn't stand it. Renting watersport equipment to obnoxious tourists isn't as fun as you would think. The only part of this job he likes is looking at the girls on the beach or in the bar getting drunk at night. But none of them would fall for him, he's a lowly resort hand. These girls were rich enough to rent private condos and pay for five star spa treatments. The only girl he had a chance with at this resort was the annoying girl, Cindy, who works at the front desk. But he didn't want to date her. She had a fake tan, bleach blonde hair and was as perky as the energizer bunny. She'd been all over him since he was hired at the beginning of this summer. Every night in the staff lounge she'd approach him and try to get him to bring her out on their day off. Every time he had said no. He was starting to become hopeless.

"Hi I'd like to rent an umbrella please," a tiny brunette asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He couldn't even answer. He was taken by her looks. She had dark brown hair that came a little below her shoulders and the biggest brown eyes. She has wearing this barely-there pink star bikini that flaunted her best assets, her legs and boobs.

"Excuse me," she said forcefully, "Are you listening?"

"Um," he mumbled, "Yeah. What was that again?"

"An umbrella," she snapped back and mumbled, "I cannot believe this fucking service here."

"Here you go," he said handing her an umbrella, "Can I have your credit card?"

She handed the piece of plastic to him without saying a word.

"Rachel Berry," he says, "Nice name."

"Thanks," she says still looking at her phone.

"What do you do Ms. Rachel Berry," he asks with a crooked smile.

"I'll have you know that my uncle is a cop," she says as she looks up, "If you're trying to attack me you're not going to be able to. He'll arrest you on the spot."

"Whoa," he said with his hands up, "Calm down. I just was trying to make conversation."

She looks at him, rolls her eyes, takes her umbrella and walks away as she pushes the huge designer sunglasses back onto her eyes.

"Wow," Finn whispered to himself as she walked away. He needed to get to know that girl.

~o0o~

Rachel needed to clear her head. She had just ended a 7-month run on the highly successful Broadway show _Anything Goes_ playing the female lead, Reno Sweeney. The part had taken its toll on her voice, body and mind. She needed a weekend to get away from it all, just to herself. She found a beautiful resort on Lake Michigan where she would spend Labor Day weekend, sitting on the beach reading a book or getting high-class spa treatments. She's been looking forward to this for weeks. Nothing was going to distract her. It was her only me-time before she started auditioning for shows that opened in October.

She did NOT want to get caught up with anyone while she was there, particularly a guy. She would be gone Monday. When she walked up to the rental booth, beach bag on arm and her favorite bikini on, and the resort worker tried to flirt with her she automatically became defensive. She just needed to focus on herself.

As she walked away trying to seem horrified and insulted she couldn't help but smile. The guy who had rented her the umbrella was _**extremely**_ attractive.

_You're focusing on yourself Lea, _she thought to herself, _Snap out of it._

She sits in her chair and smiles. Maybe she would find time to focus on a guy too.


End file.
